


Scare the Scarecrow

by Hawkscape



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre: Boundaries, Domestic, Fear, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Living Together, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 00:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10651464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkscape/pseuds/Hawkscape
Summary: Who scares the Scarecrow?The Riddler apparently.But even he might not know the consequences.





	Scare the Scarecrow

It is not surprising to learn that team ups between villains never lasted long. Someone always got betrayed, double crossed, or left to die and that was the end of it. Knowing this, it was even more unusual that the villains known as Riddler and Scarecrow had been sharing a residence for the past few month. It wasn't a team up per say, they still did their villainy separately, it was only after long days of planning schemes and bashing bats that they convened once again. Sometimes they brainstormed together, but mostly it was just like any other roommate situation. Scarecrow had slowly been increasing his spread throughout the apartment, leaving formulas and empty vials scattered around where as Riddler as begun to gradually write out riddle ideas on the hallways walls instead of relegating them to his room only. The initial fears of worrying about sabotage has dissolved into worries about who ate the last Twinkie in the box and THEN PUT THE BOX BACK (“We're not savages, Crane”). 

When you live with someone a lot of walls come down along with a lot of boundaries. Crane learned that Edward ran cold and had no shame in stealing clothes to layer. Nygma learned that the easiest way to tell if Scarecrow or Crane was in control was to check if his shirt was off. The doctor often wore button up shirts, but the madman seemed to find them stifling and would rather go without. The personalities were more of a spectrum then a switch however, so Crane mostly walked around with his shirt buttons undone, but with the shirt still on, at least inside the apartment. 

Johnathan shot back coffee like it pained him while Edward sipped it after adding lots of sugar. The puzzler was allergic to peanuts while the doctor was ironically susceptible to hay fever. Strangely enough, it had taken longer then one would think for the topic of fears to be shared. Supers, villains and otherwise, guard their weaknesses carefully. but when one's entire schtick was built around it, it was bound to come up in conversation sooner rather than later. 

It came up one night while both of them were watching horror movies on TV. Crane had his pajama top open and was taking notes while Edward tried to think up a riddle based off of each monster featured. Scarecrow was muttering under his breath inaudible until a monster with a particularly poor effects jumped out from behind a door. “Oh come on, the scariest thing about that is the production value.” 

Nygma was only half listening, but snorted nevertheless. “That doesn't mean much from you. What are you even scared of?” 

If this was said during the beginning period of their acquaintance, hackles would have been raised and it would have been seen as an obvious trap, but they were long since past playing games like that on their down time. Crane leaned back and cracked his neck for no other reason than he knew it made Nygma shiver in disgust. “Same thing as you. Bats.” 

The Riddler wrinkled his nose. “I'm not…” He grimaced and rethought himself. “...yeah, fair enough.” There was a silence filled only with slightly distorted VHS audio and pencil on paper. “Aren't you going to ask me?” 

It was Scarecrows turn to snort. “Do you honestly think I don't have detailed files on the fears of everyone I know?” 

Riddler smirked. “Sounds like interesting reading. Care to share with the class?” 

Crane acted like he was still taking notes, but in reality this movie was offering him nothing and he had been drawing sketchy pictures for the past five minutes. He started counting off on his fingers. “Penguin actually fears drowning, Selena hates dogs, and Calendar Man had this weird thing with paper shredders.” 

Edward's smile was almost big enough to crack his face. “Stop with the small fish, what about the hero's? The big players?” 

Scarecrow acted like he hadn’t heard, but moved on to more famous people anyway. “Robin hates circuses though oddly not clowns, Batman has something with that old Zorro movie, Ivy hates fire, Harleen had abandonment issues, and Joker…” He frowned at the hand that was counting off. “Doesn't seem to have one. I would test it with the gas, but it's to close to his LaughX and it doesn't effect him. Pity.” 

Riddler would have to use all this subtlety in the future. He wouldn't want to muscle in on Crane’s territory, but it could give him the upper hand. Riddles based on old movies that just happen to feature Zorro? Team up with Joker using circus themes? Brilliant. “What about me?” 

Scarecrow shrugged. “People always ask that and they're never happy with what I say.” He continued on anyway, counting on his fingers again. “Daddy issues, brain damage, needles, being late, and lemurs.” 

Nygma looked away awkwardly. “...it’s their weird knobby hands.” Crane gave no indication he cared, but started drawing scratchy pictures of elongated hands on his pad anyway. 

It was at that moment that an idea began to form in the puzzlers head. It was an idea that could blow up in his face and potentially get him kicked out of his own house, but Edward was never good at not implementing plans once he began to formulate them. 

Crane went back to his movie with only the faintest idea that he might have opened up a Pandora's box.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to drop me a line!  
> http://hawkscape.tumblr.com/  
> https://www.youtube.com/c/HawkScape  
> http://hawkscape.deviantart.com/


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